Podcast – Podcast »OKF«: Between strawberry schnapps and porn pizza

What do young people in the countryside do when they are bored? A local inspection trip (OKF). Lilly Blaudszun, political influencer who grew up in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, and Jakob Springfeld, left-wing activist and author from Zwickau, do exactly that in their ten-part podcast format “OKF”. They fictitiously cruise through their former hometowns in East Germany with more or less well-known guests, to show a more complex picture than just Dark Germany. They oscillate between nostalgia, serious topics and entertainment. Always on board: a packed lunch with a drink and the soundtrack of youth.

All companions grew up in the new federal states. The selection ranges from the influencer Pierce, who delivered pizza to a brothel in Gera, to professional footballer Felix Kroos, who in Rostock reflects on his missed youth, his brother Toni and the term “homeland”, to “Germany’s next top model”. -Participant Frieder Sell, who raves about swimming pool days in Waren an der Müritz, theme parties and high heels in size 49.

Suddenly unemployment was an issue, most people were just “functioning” and didn’t ask themselves: How are we actually doing?

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Twitch streamer JenNyan talks about how she protected her mother from her abusive father. The father is now a dry alcoholic and her parents are still together. That’s enough for the two hosts not to follow up. Instead, they talk about cosplay and how JenNyan posted her boobs on OnlyFans. The moral (“Be prepared for the consequences, the Internet is getting louder and louder!”) is hardly surprising, but Nyan touches on other explosive topics: She talks about how she deals with her depression on Twitch and how she escaped a toxic relationship in Leipzig . Blaudszun and Springfeld give her a lot of space. This sometimes works quite well, but not always, as empty spaces remain.

In the first episode, rapper Finch looks back on his time in Fürstenwalde between the skate park and the fun pool. Blaudszun asks directly: “Do you have the feeling that the people who stayed behind so completely are a bit stuck?” Finch answers in the affirmative. That’s the case for 90 percent of people. »Whether it’s political, whether it’s human. They haven’t developed any further.« Blaudszun and Springfeld don’t ask what exactly Finch is referring to, they’re more interested in whether he’s still in contact with the people and what his relationship is with Fürstenwalde.

Instead of politics, they talk about the dilapidated water park that Finch no longer wants to visit: “If you went to Disneyland as a child, don’t go again as an adult.” The episode ends with Finch’s negative emotions and doesn’t make you want to do it that much. to continue listening. But the main thing is that the strawberry schnapps was delicious. You have the feeling that you have been on a site inspection trip to which you were not invited. The two hosts, however, are exciting.

Blaudszun and Springfeld themselves come from the east. Jakob Springfeld writes in »Among Nazis. Young, East German, against the right” (2022), how dangerous it is to oppose the right as a left-wing radical. His second book “The West has no idea what is happening in the East” will be published in January. Why the rise of the right is a threat to us all.” Jakob Springfeld was born in Zwickau, Saxony, in 2002, and Lilly Blaudszun was born in Bückeburg, Lower Saxony, in 2001, but grew up in Ludwigslust. In 2019, “Zeit” chose her as one of the 100 most important young East Germans. In 2021, she was part of the SPD’s federal election campaign team and subsequently announced her withdrawal from active politics.

A special highlight is the episode with “Noughty Years” author Hendrik Bolz. When he talks to them about Stralsund, things get political: “Right-wing youth culture, that’s what I grew up with.” In his podcast “Springer Boots” he traces dark Germany together with Don Pablo Mulemba, and he also shares his feelings in OKF.

When the GDR no longer existed, many struggled to cope with the new circumstances. Suddenly unemployment was an issue, most people were just “functioning” and didn’t ask themselves: How are we actually doing, explains Bolz, who would probably have liked to tell you more, but Blaudszun interrupts him: “Let’s get something to eat.” It’s a shame, but where it says OKF on it, it also has OKF in it. Because the fictional journey through Stralsund continues. This time to the “Strelapark” shopping center. But Bolz is also a pleasure to listen to.

The quality of the podcast depends on the guests. And so »OKF« is a light, fluffy entertainment format that ultimately feels like a road trip through the East: Sometimes something exciting happens, sometimes you just chill out with sweets and a drink and reminisce.

Available on all common podcast platforms and in the ARD audio library